Big Questions--A Starter Kit

What is the work of literature? 

Where does the work of literature "occur"?

How should works of literature be read? 

What do works of literature mean, and how should meaning be detected? 

How does "a reading" of a work of literature differ from "saying what a work of literature means"? 

What outcomes does the interpreter hope to bring about as a result of interpreting the work of literature? 

Can a "work of literature" exist before the invention of writing? 

How does the invention of printing change the way a "work of literature" is produced and consumed? 

Does a work of literature which exists online or in other digital forms mean differently from those which circulate in manuscript or in print?